Under-Reported Stories

Our global editorial team of almost 50 journalists and about 300 freelancers covers the world’s under-reported stories at the heart of aid, development, women’s and LGBT+ rights, human trafficking, property rights, climate change and social innovation.
We make our stories available free of charge to hundreds of smaller media outlets and non-government organisations around the world.

Global Coverage

Global Coverage

Our correspondents and stringers shed light on stories that are often overlooked by mainstream media. We are truly global. We have correspondents in Britain, Spain, Italy, Lebanon, the United States, Colombia, Mexico, Brazil, India, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Senegal, Kenya, Nigeria, Cameroon and freelancers in most developing nations.

News

News

We cover the world’s under-reported stories through breaking news, features, interviews, and in depth analysis. We produce exclusive videos and photos. We also publish blogs and op-eds from decision makers and thought leaders.

Videos and Photos

Videos and Photos

Our videographers and photo-journalists use the power of images to document how the issues that we cover have an impact on ordinary human beings and vulnerable communities. Our documentaries and photo essays introduce viewers to inspiring characters, drawing them into unfamiliar worlds.

Women's Poll

Women's Poll

When gathered and analyzed by experts, data can illustrate scenarios as vividly as photojournalism. Our annual perception polls generate international debate by putting women’s rights at the top of the news agenda.

2018Women on the move
This poll supported by Uber sets out to find the key concerns that women have regarding the use of both public and private transport in five of the world’s biggest commuter cities in five different cultural regions.

2018The world's most dangerous countries for women
Seven years ago a Thomson Reuters Foundation experts' survey found the five most dangerous countries for women were seen to be Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Pakistan, India, and Somalia. This year we set out to see if the situation had changed.

2017Most dangerous megacities for women
In the first poll of its kind, the Thomson Reuters Foundation asked experts in women’s issues which of the world’s megacities are safe for women – and which need to do more to ensure women are not at risk of sexual violence and harassment and harmful cultural practices and have access to healthcare, finance and education.

2016The best countries to be a Social Entrepreneur 2016
Social entrepreneurs using businesses to help tackle social problems are emerging across the globe but there is little data to see which countries are encouraging this growing sector. To fill this gap, the Thomson Reuters Foundation teamed up with Deutsche Bank, UnLtd and the Global Social Entrepreneurship Network to conduct the world’s first experts’ poll on the best countries for social entrepreneurs.

2015The 5 key issues facing women working in the G20
Statistics track the number of women working, their educational qualifications and salaries. But the data does not tell us the whole picture. It doesn't tell us how women feel, and how they fare day-to-day in the workplace. With a major drive to get more women into the workforce, the Thomson Reuters Foundation, supported by The Rockefeller Foundation, embarked on a global undertaking to shed light on this increasingly critical issue, asking women across the G20 countries to name the five key challenges they face at work.

2014Most Dangerous Transport Systems for Women
The survey involved questioning women in 15 of the word's largest capital cities and in New York, as well as experts focused on women’s rights, gender equality, urban planning and gender-friendly urban spaces. The survey was carried out in collaboration with a major UK polling company, YouGov. Bogota, Mexico City and Lima were ranked at having most dangerous transport systems for women.

2013Women's rights in the Arab world
The poll of 336 specialists was designed to assess the extent to which Arab states adhere to key provisions of the U.N. Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), factors ranging from political representation and economic inclusion to reproductive rights and gender violence.

2012G20 countries: the worst and best for women
We ranked the best and worst G20 countries for women, looking at health services, violence, political participation, workplace opportunities, access to resources such as education and property rights, and freedom from trafficking and slavery. Canada ranked as the best place to be a woman while India ranked worst due to infanticide, child marriage and slavery.

2011The world's most dangerous countries for women
From rape and domestic violence to lack of healthcare and education, millions of women experience daily peril, but nowhere more than in the five countries a TrustLaw expert poll identifies as the world's most dangerous countries to be female in 2011: Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Pakistan, India and Soma.

Impact

Impact

Our mission is to raise awareness and inform society about often overlooked issues using the Reuters principles of fair, accurate, and impartial journalism. The power of news is that it can affect government policy, shape legal reform, assist law enforcement, empower civil society, engage business. We highlight stories that can have real impact.

UK lawmakers summon tea companies after our report on work exploitation.
Our exclusive story about some Indian tea plantations with slavery-free certifications abusing and underpaying their workers got a lot of attention and also led to action. EU motions have been filed and the House of Lords has summoned major tea companies to appear before them and explain what they are doing to improve their supply chains.

TRF used as dictionary definition.
Our story on U.S. farmers being squeezed out of the rural landscape is referenced in the leading Merriam-Webster dictionary to illustrate their definition of “landholder”.

Funding shifted after our Barbuda post-hurricane story.
Our coverage of Barbuda’s post-hurricane reconstruction was credited with influencing an EU decision to allocating funding to rebuilding homes via UNDP rather than the government, which is said to have been lagging on its commitments to Barbudans.

Mica investigation of 2016 continues to have impact.
Our investigation into India's mica industry that revealed children were dying in illegal, crumbling mines is continuing to have impact more than two years since its publication. The Indian government is now counting the number of child workers in mica mines for the first time and the chief minister of the eastern state of Jharkhand unveiled a drive to make mica child labour free. This is highlighted in our latest story: “With new data, India plans to fight child labour in mica mines”
This contrasts with 2016 when officials had said they had no knowledge of children dying in mica mines. This year officials enlisted an entire state machinery to map all out of school children and tracking if they are working in mica.

Rising demand for avocados leads to queries over sustainable crops.
Our story about avocados being removed from British menus amid environmental and land concerns prompted a Swiss avocado oil company to contact the Rainforest Trust - which was quoted in our story - for guidance on the sustainability of their business.

EU suspends project on our Kenya Sengwer forest people story.
We were the first international media outlet to report about Kenya’s Sengwer forest people being threatened with eviction by the government-run Kenya Forest Service. Following our coverage, three U.N. special rapporteurs expressed concern and the EU suspended a $35 million dollar water conservation project in the area the Sengwer call their ancestral home.

Indian govt acts on our story about worker jailed in Dubai.
Our story highlighting the case of an Indian worker jailed in Dubai for unwittingly using banned painkillers has led to him getting consular help for a mercy petition. The Indian consulate in Dubai was alerted to Motam Naresh’s case by a member of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party – Thopali Sriniwas – who read our story and went to meet his family. Mr Sriniwas posted on Facebook that he took the initiative after reading our story. The vice consul in the Indian Consulate in Dubai said a mercy petition is being prepared.

Story prompts age checks of women working in Indian spinning mills.
Our story on the suicide of a 14-year-old girl at a textile mill in southern India after a 16-hour shift led to the company rechecking the age proof of all their workers, sending many girls back home to bring back proper documentation. The Spinning Mills Association also warned the company against hiring children.

Awards

Awards

Our unique journalism has been recognised with some of the media world’s most prestigious awards.

My Hero International Film Festival - Shanshan Chen: won 1st place in the Arts Heroes category at the My Hero International Film Festival 2018 for her film “Art for peace”.

My Hero International Film Festival - Nicky Milne, Liz Mermin and Claudio Accheri won 1st place in the Human Rights Category of the 2018 My Hero International Film Festival for the film “Beyond Boko Haram”.

My Hero International Film Festival - Shanshan Chen won the Documentary Award at the My Hero International Film Festival for her film “Louis’ story: Child Soldier to Role Model”.

NJAMA - We won our first award for our LGBT file with Zimbabwe freelancer Lungelo Ndlovu getting 1st prize at the 2018 National Journalism and Media Awards (NJAMA as Gender, Identity, Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights Reporter of the Year Southern Region for “Trans People Struggle for Acceptance in Zimbabwe”.

SOPA - South Asia Correspondent Nita Bhalla won 2017 Journalist of the Year from SOPA with our mica investigation highly praised.

Newswomen’s Club of New York - Ellen Wulfhorst won “Beat reporting in the wires category” from Newswomen’s Club of New York in 2017 for her coverage of Louisiana coastal parishes hit by rising seas.

My Hero International Film Festival - Liz Mermin won first place in the Humanitarian Category in the 2017 My Hero International Film Festival for her documentary “No Exit: Jordan’s most vulnerable refugees”.

Mediterranean Journalist Awards - Umberto Bacchi won 2017 online media category of the Mediterranean Journalist Awards for a story about African migrants in Italy setting up an organic yoghurt company.

Impact AFRICA Award - Freelancer Moraa Obiria of Kenya won the 2017 Impact AFRICA award for her story on disabled mothers in Kenya

SOPA - Finalist in six 2016 SOPA (Society for Publishers in Asia) awards, winning top prize for Environmental Reporting and honourable mentions for covering Women’s Issues in India and Investigative Reporting in Myanmar.

United Nations Foundation Prize - Bronze Award in 2016 in United Nations Foundation Prize for print and broadcast media for coverage of humanitarian and development aspects of the UN and UN agencies.

Joint winner of the Gold medal for the 2015 United Nations Foundation Prize for print (including online media) and broadcast media (TV & Radio) for coverage of humanitarian and development aspects of the U.N. and U.N. agencies.

Emmy Award - 2010, “Surviving the Tsunami: Stories of Hope”, a multimedia documentary created for the fifth anniversary of the Indian Ocean tsunami, was nominated for an Emmy award, won a prize at the Best of Photojournalism Awards, and was a finalist in the 2010 Dart Awards for Excellence in Coverage of Trauma. It was also named Best Web Special Feature by Editor & Publisher.

* Our editorial team have also been cited in over 50 scholarly citations, contributing to academic research in various fields.

Partnerships

Partnerships

Team up with us to highlight a key issue and raise awareness of some of the challenges facing the world’s vulnerable communities.

Three-year programme with Deutsche Bank to cover the growing number of social entrepreneurs globally using businesses to help people and the environment.

Collaborating with Omidyar Network to raise awareness about the vital role of property rights in poverty alleviation. This initiative involves a team of 12 journalists, including two from Citiscope, producing unique stories for a global audience and the creation of PLACE, the first digital platform dedicated to land and property rights featuring news, expert opinion, and other resources.

A three-year initiative with C&A Foundation aimed at raising awareness of trafficking and forced labour in India and across South Asia through a team of dedicated journalists, a Hindi and Tamil translation service, and training for reporters from local newsrooms. Expansion of our slavery team with 7 more reporters (9 in total) giving us the largest team of human trafficking and slavery reporters globally.

Involvement in a five-year programme, “Building Resilience and Adaptation to Climate Extremes and Disasters (BRACED)”, backed by the British government and launched in 2014. BRACED responds to the most immediate impacts of climate change and aims to benefit an estimated 5 million people across Asia and Africa by sharing information and news on the BRACED website.

A three-year agreement with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization to cover food security and hunger.